Ban on Trap Blamed for Rise in Livestock Deaths
State ranchers are enduring a steep rise in mountain lion and coyote attacks on livestock, and blame a 1998 law banning certain kinds of animal traps.
Recent U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics show that last year 14,900 cattle and calves were killed by predators in California--up from 5,600 killed in 1995.
Coyotes are blamed for almost 67% of the cattle and calves killed by predators last year. Mountain lions and bobcats are blamed for 22%. The killings cost ranchers $5 million in lost revenue in 2000.
Ranchers say the best methods for keeping predators in check were banned with the 1998 passage of Proposition 4, which prohibited use of steel-jaw leg-hold traps.
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